Set it to the Max
by Reflections of Twilight
Summary: Max, a girl with synesthesia. Fang, the class freak. After an event too crazy to be a coincidence, their lives start to go awry. Do their paths cross in this crazy game we call life? To find out, read Set it to the Max. Can you hear the colors? Fax, because Mylan makes me wanna barf.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: 'Sup, guys! I've had this story idea for a while, so I'm going to try it out and see how you guys like it! BTW, this is Sunsets, I just changed my account name. You can still call me Sunsets, though. Or you can call me Twilight, Cloud, or Skye, whichever you like.**

**Also, I'm going to start making sets for their outfits. Links will be on my profile.**

**Prologue- random hospital in New York**

"Congratulations!" the nurse piped cheerily to the weary mother. "Your baby girl is healthy!" she commented as the pink bundle was passed over to the weary, yet happy mother. **(AN: Just saying, it's only pink so it can be distinguished from a male baby.) **"There were no problems at all, in fact. You're very lucky." The nurse's words faded into the background as Mrs. Valencina Martinez stared down at the little girl in her arms, the baby gurgling in a mixture or happiness and confusion, a thin coat of brown-blonde fuzz on the baby's head.

Little did Valencina know that the baby did have something odd about her, but not life-threatening. But the syndrome this baby had would give her the ride of a lifetime.

"What are you naming her, Mrs…" The nurse trailed off as she checked the paper for the woman's name. "Martinez?" The woman finished.

The woman studied the baby's face, the baby's hazel eyes staring back at her with a sort of grim determination, like this baby could take on the world, like she could be the ultimate force. The…

"Maximum." The mother said out loud before she could stop herself. "Maximum Ride Martinez."

"… Interesting name." The nurse commented. Little did she know, nor anyone else for that matter, that this was a girl who had the power to change the world.

**AN: Sorry for the shortness. I was going to do something for Fang, but decided against it. I promise the next chapter will be longer! Until then, adios! –Sunsets/Twilight/Cloud/Skye. Oh, fuck it! I'm just gonna sign off as Sunsets, kay? -Sunsets**


	2. Chapter 2: In the beginning

**AN: OH MY GODS I'M SO SORRY! I had family over and homework and… Ugh! Yes, I know it's no excuse, but still, sorry.**

**Oh, one other thing! This story, in general, is dedicated to Wendy Mass and the book "A Mango-Shaped Space", because that's where I first heard about synesthesia and the concept of it, and the symptoms and such of it. This chapter is dedicated to my first five reviewers:**

**anon**

**oOSmileOo**

**summeranderson**

**The Asylum**

**Oh, and Dick Clark, who died today. Mainly because he was a character in "When You Reach Me", one of the epicest books in existence.**

**And some responses for said comments:**

**anon: Yeah, I know I do that sometimes, sorry 'bout that. :p**

**: Really? Thanks! To tell you the truth, I wrote the prologue in about half an hour. XD**

**oOSmileOo: Yeah, it was supposed to be a bit longer, with something from Fang's hospital, but I decided against it, as I didn't know what to write. Fail! XD Yeah, I really like the XD face.**

**summeranderson: You're one to talk, Emily!**

**The Asylum: Oh, sorry. Hope you feel better, though!**

**Oh, also: Thanks to all my reviewers! Now, on with the story.**

**Total: Sunsets? You forgetting something?**

**Me: What? Oh, yeah! Now presenting… the disclaimer! *Jazz hands***

**Sunsets does not own Maximum Ride. The only good thing about this matter is that Sunsets, thankfully, does not own Dylan.**

**NOW, on with the story.**

**Thirteen years later- Max POV**

I plopped in my seat at math class. Oh, math class; the worst part of the day, to me in particular. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a bad student- you can ask my English, Chorus, Dance, Art, or History teacher on that one- but I suck majorly at math. Sighing, I wrote the homework in my homework book, than glanced at the board to check the drill. The board read, "How do you solve this equation?" then had an equation with a billion variables in it, and only a few numbers. I groaned inwardly; with all the colors floating around, it was hard to tell what was going on with this problem. From avocado green with a touch of peppermint red to navy blue with a tinted with neon pink, there was every color imaginable in that problem. How was I ever going to solve it?

Sorry, I must've forgotten my manners. This crazy person talking to you is named Maximum Ride, though she doesn't respond to anything other than Max. And why is she referring to herself in the third person, you may ask? Well, it's all a matter of the fact that she does what she feels like doing, and nothing else. Oh, screw it! Now I'm going to talk in first person instead. You're welcome.

Anyway… Okay, my name is Maximum Ride, call me Max, blah blah blah… okay, here we are! So, I'm 14, for anybody who's still reading and still cares, and I'm tallest in my grade, which is eighth. If you asked anyone in school to describe me, Maximum Ride, in one word, there would be about three answers; A: 'Who the heck is Maximum Ride?', which would be the popular kids, B: 'crazy', from the handful of friends I have, and C: 'loner', from the rest of the grade.

In a sense, both of those last two answers are true. Around my friends, and you, I'm crazy. You've already seen that. The rest of the grade I barely talk to, so they have some rights to suspect me of being a loner.

Most people would consider me average, despite my height. I have long, wavy, dirty blonde hair that's usually in a messy braid, with hazel eyes.

I wear a lot of black, but I'm not emo, no matter what Ella tells you! Today, for example, I'm wearing a black T-shirt that reads, "Come to the dark side, we have cookies", with a monster wielding a plate of cookies. I was also wearing purple skinny jeans, and black, knee-high converse. **( AN: I'm putting links for all outfits on my profile. I'll remind you in each chapter.)**

I have a sister in sixth grade named Ella, and my Mom. I have a Dad named Jeb, but he lives with his son, my seven-year-old half-brother, Ari. I don't like Jeb, but Ari can be really sweet most of the time. But he has this symptom that sometimes makes him go crazy and try to kill me. Don't ask.

And my adopted brother and sister, Zephyr and Ariel, nicknamed the Gasman/Gazzy and Angel. They're brother and sister by blood, but their parents left them out on the streets, where my mom found them and nursed them back to health. But they don't know that, and we try to keep it a secret from them; who knows what it would do to them? Anyway, Gazzy is eight and in second grade, and Angel is six and in kindergarten.

Now, back to the present… Let's see… idiotically long math problem that I'll probably never use, colors swirling everywhere, duh duh da… Oh,yeah, one other thing I forgot to mention.

I have colors.

I'm not joking. For me, everything has colors. Words, numbers, foods. The colors surround me constantly, blanketing me in a world of confusion. It sounds crazy, I know. Nobody believes me. When I told my Mom, she thought it was all made up to get attention. Don't get me wrong, my Mom rocks, but she doesn't care for lying. Math is almost impossible for me, and if it weren't for my decent and good grades in the rest of my classes, I would get held back for sure. I'm already in the average class, often coming home bearing a math test with a blood red 'F' on it.

Okay, NOW we can go back to the present. I was still struggling with problem impossible when the teacher, Mr. Lorreti, announced that time was up.

"Now, who wants to explain the answer?" Mr. Lorreti asked, walking slowly between the isles of desks. He scanned the room before his eyes fell on me.

"Max will answer the question." He announced. I panicked slightly in my brain, but came up with a lie in seconds- I'm just that good- and said innocently, "I have to go to the bathroom."

A few kids snickered, but Mr. Lorreti rolled his eyes and let me go.

I walked slowly to the bathroom, and did everything I could to make it as slow as possible. I was in luck, for as soon as I got back to the classroom, the bell rang. I inwardly cheered, scooping up my books and bolting out of the classroom, to my next class, chorus. Score!

***AN: This is a time skip.***

**California- Fang's POV**

"Let's get to school, Fangypoo!" my brother, Iggy, shrilly squealed.

"Five more minutes." I groaned, turning.

"Wow, Fang-alator, over two words! We're making progress!" Iggy mocked.

"Fang… alator?" my sister, Nudge, snickered, standing in the doorway of my black room.

"Get the fuck out." I mumbled into my pillow.

"Wow! Four words!" Iggy squealed, suspiciously like a girl, while Nudge mocked, "Now, Fang! Language!"

After much back and forth, I finally got up, grumbling at my ever-annoying siblings. Without looking, I snatched some black jeans, a plain black T-shirt, and some black Vans.

Well, excuse my terrible manners, but I'm Nicholas Walker, known to my siblings as Fang. Fourteen years of age, and I'm what's considered 'emo.' But I'm not! I mean, when models wear black, it's fashionable. When I wear black, it's emo. What's up with that?

But, either way, that creeper dude is my twin Jeffery James Walker, known to teachers as Jeff and to me and Nudge as Iggy, and Monique Saphira Walker, known to us as Nudge is my adopted younger sister. Nudge loves her middle name, as it's the name of a dragon in her favorite series, Eragon. Nudge was kidnapped at birth, but was rescued. Unfortunately, her kidnapper had killed her parents, and she was put up for adoption. My mom adopted her, and we swore to never mention it in front of Nudge. And my Mom, Anne.

Anyway, Iggy's fourteen, like me, and is a total pervert. Nudge is the trend-setter of the fifth grade, and is probably one of the only eleven-year-old girls who can wear skirts and still kick butt.

And I'm just little Fang. The kid who gets pushed around and bullied, who gets the blind eye from teachers. I could beat all of them up if I wanted to, but I don't. I can't give them the satisfaction of knowing I'm angry, so I just stand through the wind and the rain, wishing I could fly away. **(AN: That was a reference to the song "Concrete Angel" to Martina Mcbride. I love that song, but it's so sad. :'( Okay, I'm going back to the story.) **

Sorry, I'm not usually this mushy. But I just needed to let it out.

I walked downstairs, and saw a plate of bacon at the table, Nudge and Iggy scarfing down some of it. I joined them in gobbling it down, then we gathered up our backpacks and headed out the door. We lived close enough to school to walk. And as we were walking, I thought,

_I don't know if recording all these thoughts in my head will help, but I hope it will. Please, anybody, get me out of this nightmare. Before it's too late._

**AN: Those last two lines were on the back of "Schools out – Forever".**

**Anyway, I think I'll be able to have the next chapter up quicker than this one was! I hope, anyway! 'Till then, -Sunsets**


	3. Chapter 3: The Calm Before the Storm

**AN: Wha-wha-what is up? XD I fail so much… Considering I'm typing this with my "My Little Pony" ponies sitting next to me… Yes, I'm a bronie/ pegasister. DEAL WITH IT!**

**But anyway, since you guys reviewed and I had I-don't-know-how-many e-mails saying that this story was favorites, I'm gonna try to update early for you guys!**

**IMPORTANT!**

**By the way, I just realized that in the last chapter, she went to class, did one problem, and left, so pretend there was a time skip in there, kay?**

**END IMPORTANTNESS!**

**Okay, guys. Since all my reviews/ favorites were so awesome, I'm going to give you guys book recommendations every time I update! And, just because I'm nice, I'll give you two today!**

"**A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass and "They Never Came Back" by Caroline B. Cooney**

**Total: Okay, okay. *whispers* By the way, since Sunsets is refusing to say she doesn't own Max Ride, I'm tricking her into it! *clears throat and talks at normal level* So Sunsets. You have agreed that you won't say you don't own Max Ride, correct?**

**Me: *Nods***

**Total: Then, following logic, then you own Dylan, correct?**

**Me: NO! I DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, OWN DYLAN!**

**Total: Then you don't own Max Ride! HA!**

**Me: You tricked me! *Goes into emo corner to grumble***

**Total: Enjoy!**

**Max POV**

Lunchtime! The best part of the day!

I made it to my locker in what must've been record-breaking time, and raced through the combination. Without hesitating, I jammed my binders and such in my locker and grabbed the paper bag containing my lunch, and headed to the cafeteria, while my slow locker neighbors were still in the process of opening their lockers.

You might think I'm some kind of a nerd for bringing a bagged lunch, but let me tell you; the crud they serve at my school doesn't even deserve to be called a meal. While those idiots buying lunch get potential elephant meat, ground-up crayons, and things I don't even _want _to mention, I, on the other hand, get a certified 100% real BLT sandwich, carrot sticks, and a package of cookies.

As I contemplated, I noted that my feet had carried me to the cafeteria, as if on auto-pilot. I entered, well-aware of the fact that I was the first person to the cafeteria, as I am every day. I plopped down at my table, the table that most people considered "The Reject Table," and that's probably because only 4 people sat there, including me.

JJ has brown hair and bright blue eyes, with somewhat-tan skin. Her full name is Jenifer Joy Ross, but she _hates _her name, so we call her JJ. She _looks _like that kind of kid that sits at the popular table, wears designer clothes, and is insanely snooty, but that's what separates her from the people with no brains. They wear size-0, brightly colored skinny jeans and cut of their blood circulation, JJ wears baggy, black jeans. They trip in their heels getting to their cars; she skates to school in her skate shoes from "Journey's." They wear sleeveless shirts, she wears graphic T-shirts. They freeze in the cold, she puts on a hoodie. **(AN: I don't remember if she had a description in the book, so I'm just guessing.)**

But it's not just her clothes, it's her personality. When she comes over to my house, she includes my siblings, unlike most people, who would shut them out. She is probably the sweetest person you'd ever meet, but not a pushover. She's also the type to bring a book to lunch. Most of the time, you'll find her munching on carrot sticks, immersed in "When you Reach Me" for what seems like the 94th time. I met her when I first moved to New York, in second grade. Oh, and if I forgot to mention, she's a vegetarian. **(AN: My Aunt, Uncle, and cousin are all vegetarian… When my cousin was little, he'd have tofu nuggets for lunch.)**

Then there's Tess. Tess's almost as tall as me; she's only shorter by a few inches. She's… well, she's something. Her hair is straight and blonde with overgrown side bangs flopping down to past her eyes, which are dark brown, and her hair is streaked with electric blue. **(AN: she didn't have a description in the book, so I'm making her up. Also, she had about three lines, so I couldn't really tell what her personality was.) **She'll wear a skirt, but only if it's with leggings, combat boots, and a graphic T-shirt. She's pretty much an opposite of JJ. If I trip, JJ will help me up, but Tess's probably the one that tripped me in the first place, so she'll laugh along with me. Most people don't like her because she dresses weird, but she's pretty awesome once you get to know her. The worst part about her is that sometimes, she'll (literally) kick me in the butt.

Sam's the only boy that sits at our table, but he doesn't mind because we're as tomboy as you'll get. With sandy blonde hair, mist-gray eyes, tan skin, and glasses, he's one of the few boys in this world who's not an idiot and is actually, genuinely nice. He had a crush on me in 4th grade, but now that he and JJ are dating, I assume he's gotten over me.

Anyway… I sat down and began unpacking my lunch. Now, which do I go for first…? The BLT looks tempting with the extra bacon hanging out of the sides. Then again, the carrots look extra crispy today… but the cookies are still slightly warm, and the gooey chocolate chips seem to be calling to me, calling out, "Max… Max…"

Suddenly, I'm aware that a voice _is _calling my name, but it's not the cookies. I blink and look up to see my 3 friends, sitting in their regular spots at the table, laughing at me. I look down and realize that, without even realizing it, I had been reaching out to my BLT, then to my carrot sticks, then to my cookies, then back again! I started laughing along with them, well aware of the fact that it had earned us some odd looks from the kids who had accumulated at the tables surrounding ours. But I didn't care, as the laughs were making bubbles of every color of the rainbow, and they were so mesmerising...

"Having-trouble-deciding?" Tess chocked between fits of giggles. I nodded, almost sobbing with hysterical laughter, and the bubbles became even more vibrant.

After a while, when our laughing died down, the bubbles fading into the air, I resumed my debating my difficult decision. Hey, there's alliteration! Sorry, off topic… Anyway, I decided to start with my sandwich, then eat the carrots, then polish it off with the cookies. Yum...

Excuse me, but I've got to go. I have to go bask in the aura of my epical lunch. Is epical even a word? I think it is… Oh, I'm just going to leave!

**(AN: Sorry I'm piling all these characters on you. If you're overwhelmed with it, don't be afraid to tell me, and I can go back and edit the chapter. By the way, I'll probably do the rest of the chapters like this for a while, with the first part Max's, then the second part Fang's. And some of the time, They'll be doing the same thing, so you can see how their days are different.)**

**Fang's POV**

I can't wait to get home. If there's an award for something being "the worst day ever," I think this takes the cake. Yum, cake… Off topic!

So far, I've discovered I failed my Science test, took a pop quiz in Social Studies (which I'm sure I failed), realized I left home this morning without lunch money (and Iggy refused to share his lunch), and the English teacher threw a chalkboard eraser at me. Well, that last part is actually normal, my English teacher's kind of psycho… **(AN: My English teacher actually threw erasers at us, to teach us prepositions. But our English teacher's awesome.)**

As I walked home from school, Iggy pranced- No, I'm not joking, he actually _pranced_- Ahead, bubbling over with excitement about his awesome day, while I lagged behind, still brooding over the humiliation of getting an eraser thrown at me.

"Come on, Fangles, cheer up! I know what'll cheer you right up!" Iggy cheerfully called over his shoulder, before taking a deep breath. Oh, God, not this again…

"MY LITTLE PONY, MY LITTLE PONY! AH-AH-AH-AHHHHH!" Iggy screeched, extremely off-key.

"Iggy. You know the neighbor's got mad the last time this happened!" Iggy froze completely in shock.

"Fangles. Do. You. Know. What. You. Just. Did?" Iggy then plowed on without waiting for an answer. "You said… More words than I can count on my fingers!" Iggy squealed.

"It's not that big of a- WHAT THE FUDGE!" I bellowed after receiving a hug from Iggy. And let me tell you, Iggy hugs _hard_. We were getting some odd looks from the neighbors, so I pried Iggy off of me, and began walking home, with Iggy still marveling my talking behind me.

Oh, the oddness of living in my life.

**AN: Sorry it was kind of short, I'm a little crunched for time.**

**What'd you think? Love it, like it, "meh" it, dislike it, hate it? Tell me what you think! Sorry it took so long, I had this chapter, then I didn't like it and had to completely start over. And that coincidence I mentioned in the summary? It should be coming up soon.**

**Please review! The reviews help me know what you guys like and don't like!**

**Till next time… -Sunsets**


	4. Chapter 4: All's Fair in Love and Gym

**AN: Sorry it's been, like, forever! Exams/finals/ whatever you wanna call 'ems at school and all, ya know?**

**What the crap? My computer randomly started blasting some Adele song... **

**IMPORTANT!**

**I was asked not to do AN's during the story. If one's absolutely necessary, I'll use that Astrid/star thingy and the AN'll be at the bottom. You know, this?: ***

**Also, sorry if I get anything about synesthesia wrong, as I don't actually have it. I have the facts from Wikipedia, the insight from "A Mango-Shaped Space," as well as my BFF Luna (who actually has it), but that's it. **

**END IMPORTANTNESS!**

**By the way, whoever it was who asked if I could stop doing the AN's at the bottom, I usually write this AN when I first start writing the chapter, then I finish the actual chapter, like, a week later, and I don't want this AN to go on forever, so I break it up into pieces. I'll try to keep the one at the end brief though!**

**It amuses me that this story has the same amount of reviews as my other story, with half the amount of chapters.**

**The Book recommendation is Emily the Strange: Dark Days.**

**So, I don't own Maximum Ride, yadda yadda yadda… Do you even read this?**

**Me and Total: Read and enjoy! **

**Max POV**

Well, my brain is currently on vacation, so I can't think of a cool way to say hi, so… Hi.

_Wow Max. Real creative. _"Shut up, creepy voice in my head." I muttered. JJ, Tess, and Sam, who were all strolling to the gym with me, looked at me oddly. Well, people look at me oddly all the time, so it was nothing new.

Let me give you an update on what's happened since lunch. After lunch, I had English, then Science. I English, we took boring news articles and added in voice to make them interesting, and in Science, we talked about the different types of eclipses. For your sake, I won't go into full detail so you don't have to plod through a humongous paragraph. You're welcome.

Now, I'm walking to Gym, which is probably the highlight of my schedule. You see, the teacher can be harsh, but if you do your best, he's actually pretty funny and nice. On top of that, I've got the class with Tess, Sam, AND JJ! It's like… like… chocolate chip cookies and cheese combined! Yes, you heard me. No judging! I bet some of you still sleep with your blankies.

Ah, here we are… The gym. Where boys pretend to be all macho, when they're really so sissy that they would squeal if they caught sight of a stinkbug. I mean, jeez, they've been everywhere for years! You'd think they'd be used to them by now… Heck, _Angel's_ not scared 'a some harmless bug, and she's less than half the age of these dimwits!

Tess, JJ and I went to the locker rooms to get changed. That's the one part of Gym I hate; that we still have to wear uniforms! Thankfully, the uniform isn't _too _dorky. It's navy blue basketball shorts, and an orange T-Shirt that says our school's name, which is Merith Middle School, on the back, and it has our last name written on the top of the back, and on the label inside the shorts. Y'know, so we don't mix them up.

After I threw on my gym clothes, also exchanging my knee-high black converse for some Nike running shoes, I checked myself in the mirror. Hair back? Check. Uniform? Check. Sneakers? Check. Now I just need my journal, to record running times in. After rummaging through my gym locker, I found it, along with a pencil to write with.

Hi ho, off to gym class we go! Well, that sounded less stupid in my head…

I hurried out of the changing room, and I winced as my sneakers squeaked on the gym floor, making neon yellow squares appear in my vision. Seriously, if this sound occurred so often, you'd think it'd a prettier sound…

I saw everybody else starting to get mats to do push-ups and sit-ups, and did the same. As I laid the yoga mat down next to Sam's, who had already started his push-ups, I saw Tess storm out of the changing room, with a helpless-looking JJ hot on her heels.

_Wonder what they're fighting about this time. _Those two fought so often, I had long since stopped getting concerned about it. They fight over the stupidest things, anyway. ***1**

Tess laid her mat down on the other side of Sam, while JJ laid hers next to mine.

"What're you fighting about this time?" I stated in a bored tone as JJ plopped down on her mat. The plopping sound made a black square made of dots in my vision, and I smiled slightly at the sight of it. Not my favorite one, but still better than many of the others.

JJ, not noticing my tone-or my smile, for that matter- frantically spewed words. I could barely make them out, but it sounded like the following had happened:

Tess had been putting her hair up, and JJ had made a friendly remark about how she could make Tess's hair look really cute. Tess, thinking JJ had meant Tess's hair didn't look nice, made some cutting remark about how ugly JJ's sneakers were and stormed out.

"I just don't know what to do!" JJ cried out, pausing to tighten her ponytail before starting her curl-ups. I was unprepared for the scream, so I barely managed to contain a wince at the razor-sharp, blood red spike that accompanied JJ's loud tone. Forcing myself to act like nothing out of the ordinary had happened, I bent my arms into a push-up position. _And… 30! _I thought, collapsing, relieved to have finished my push-up quota for the day.

"Listen JJ." I sighed, rolling over so I could lie down for a bit before starting my curl-ups. "Knowing Tess, by the end of Gym, she won't even remember that you even fought. Besides, we all know you didn't mean to hurt Tess's feelings, and we also know she didn't mean it when she said your sneakers are ugly. You know, Tess can be…" I trailed off as I searched for a word that wouldn't sound offending.

"Moody? Bitter?" Sam supplied in between wheezes as her finished his last curl-ups. The wheezes sent little clouds of dark blue smoke up, but I did my best to ignore them so I wouldn't get distracted.

"Exactly." I finished, beginning my curl-ups.

"Hey, you know I heard your whole conversation, right?" Tess smirked as she rolled up her mat.

JJ opened her mouth to begin apologizing, but Tess held up a finger to signal for JJ to stop.

"I know you're sorry. You don't need to go blathering like an idiot for me to know that. And I forgive you."

They briefly smiled at each other, before JJ and Sam rolled up their mats, and I (FINALLY) finished my curl-ups. We all looked at the most popular boy in class, Omega, who was still doing effortless push-ups to make the popular girls swoon.

"How did he get the upper-body strength to do that?" Sam said enviously, glancing at his arms, which weren't wimpy, but not particularly strong either.

"Y'know, you don't need muscles to impress other girls. Unless you wanna get rid of me." JJ joked.

"You know I'd never want that." He grinned at JJ, making her blush slightly.

"Gee. If I was a mushy-gushy lovey-dovey girl, I'd be going 'awwwww' right now." I intoned, my voice dripping in sweet, sweet sarcasm as I finished rolling up my mat.

"The day Maximum Ride becomes a mushy-gushy lovey-dovey girl is the day I will actually believe in the apocalypse." Tess commented in a serious tone of voice.

"So… never?" JJ giggled. All four of us began laughing hysterically.

"Max, Tess, JJ and Sam! This is Gym, not a slumber party! Put your mats away and get ready to run!" The Coach barked. We all looked at each other a bit glumly, before putting our rolled-up mats away and hurrying over to the doors leading from the gym to the field outside, where we run.

I actually love running. The only kid in the class who's ever come close to running as fast as me is Omega, and I still finished with a decent distance between us.

I've been asked to join the track team several times, but I don't want to do it as a sport, I want to do it for fun. When I run, my feet barely touching the ground, I feel like there's nothing that can stop me. Like I have no obligations, problems- like there's nothing tethering me to the world. My colors are like clouds, swirling around me. But they don't distract me- actually, they give me more focus.

When I run, I feel like it's as close as I'll ever get to flying. 

Even though it's freezing out, I don't mind; if anything, it makes me feel more encouraged.

The coach reviews everything with us; we're running a mile (meaning two laps around the field), then going back inside for some floor hockey. _Not a terrible day,_ I thought. _Not terrible at all._

Finally, we all line up to start. I hear the words that I've anticipated for the last 5 minutes: "Ready set, GO!"

And then- _WHAM!- _I'm off like a jet, cutting through the icy air, zooming around the field, forest greens and soft pinks surrounding me. And once again I feel like there's nothing stopping me from flying.

Until something sends me spiraling to Earth, and the darkness consumes me…

**Fang's POV *2**

"Hey, Fang!" I hear Nudge call from downstairs.

"What?" I scream back, slightly annoyed at being interrupted.

"Dinner's ready! And it's Iggy's special pizza!" Those words send me flying up from my chair at my desk, where I was doing homework. I fly down the stairs, to be greeted by the mouthwatering smell of melted cheese and hot pepperoni. ***3**

As I turned the corner into the kitchen, I noticed that the table was only set for three.

"Mom's not gonna be home for dinner?" I questioned.

"Yep." Iggy replied, and I nodded, unsurprised. Mom's almost never home for dinner, anyway.

"Seriously, with all the time she's not home, you'd think she works for the FBI, rather than being a… What is a person called when they help people with weird symptoms?" Nudge babbled.

"Um… A therapist?" Iggy supplied.

Nudge frowned. "No, not that…" We all looked at each other in confusion, then shrugged it off.

"Who cares! Let's eat!" Iggy cheered, and nobody argued. I dug into my pizza, and thought, _Yes. This is how life should always be._

Of course, I knew that wasn't how it worked. But I cherished the moment all the same.

**AN:**

***1: That's how the girls at my camp are. We're as close as sisters, but we fought over stupid things, like who got to use the nail polish remover first, and who fell asleep first the night before.**

***2: That was my attempt at a cliffhanger. How was it? Please give me some feedback. I appreciate criticism, as long as it isn't a flame.**

***3: I couldn't come up with a juicy simile for pepperoni. If anyone can come up with a good one, I'll change it and you can get a shout-out in the next chapter!**

**Sorry this took forever! First camp, then I went to the beach, where I thought I would have wifi, but I didn't, then a mass of visiting relatives and friends, and relatives visiting us… My Grandparents are actually coming by for a few days, and they should be here soon! And then, school starts once again! *groans***

**Well, I'll try to make it up to you by writing some more tonight. Hopefully, the next chapter'll be up soon! I make no promises, but I'll still try my hardest!**

**Till next time!**

**Luffles, Sunsets**


	5. Chapter 5: Injuries and Tiredness

**AN: Please don't kill me! My computer was down for a while, and lately I've been doing cruddy on math tests, so I had to study for those. But my computer is working again, and I didn't have any weekend homework, so I'm writing!**

**I think I've talked to pretty much everyone who reviewed last chapter. But I'm going to start responding to reviews at the end of the chapters anyway.**

**Book Recommendation: The Fault In Our Stars by John Green**

**Me: I wish I could own MR. That way the movie would've already came out. But, since it is not so, Maximum Ride will remain movie-less until further notice. :(**

**I give to you chapter 5 (or is it 4? I forget) of Set it to the Max!**

**Set it to the Max chapter 4: **

**The Much Awaited Max POV**

I woke up only feeling a hard plastic mat beneath me, and a throbbing pain in my head. _Whoever's torturing me, please lay off the brick, _I thought, sadly aware that it was even painful to think.

When I was more used to the pain, I became more aware of my surroundings: a few concerned voices floated to my ears, the worry making mesmerizing purple wisps dance in front of my closed eyes. _At least whatever happened to my head didn't take my colors away. _As much as I could loathe my colors at points, I really couldn't imagine the world without them.

When the pain got to an almost bearable point, I opened my eyes a bit, to see the worried faces of Sam, Tess and JJ hovering over me.

"She's awake," Sam called to someone out of my sight range. I would've tried to turn my head to analyze the person, but my head had begun throbbing again (shooting rather unpleasant neon orange dots into my vision, mind you) with just the simple task of opening my eyes, and I didn't want to see what turning my head could do.

In a few moments, I saw the nurse stumble over to me. _That must've been who Sam was talking to. _I thought, though my thoughts quickly melted into a color-filled haze.

"Max. Can you hear us?" Tess questioned, eyes full of worry.

"No dip, Sherlock," I muttered.

"Sarcastic in the worst of situations. That's Max for 'ya, everybody." Tess smirked, but I could see relief flooding her eyes.

"Wait, worst of situations? What do you mean? What happened? WERE THE MAYANS CORRECT IN THEIR PREDICTION?" I said, getting louder with each sentence until I was screeching. I tried to sit up, but I was immediately pushed back down by Tess and JJ's hands.

"No, Max. You need to lie down." JJ scolded, slowly letting go of my shoulders to ensure that I wasn't trying to plan one of my infamous master escapes. Honestly, my head hurt too much to object. Between the screaming and the sitting up, my headache—and the appearance of the neon orange dots- was back full force.

"So, what did happen?" I asked, curious to find out how I'd ended up here.

"Well, we were in P.E., and we were running. Then-" JJ was promptly interrupted by Tess, who intoned darkly, "DISASTER STRUCK."

After giving Tess a miserable attempt at the evil eye, JJ continued, "That showoff Omega was jealous of you, so he somehow caught up to you using some superhuman strength, and tripped you to try and get in front of you."

Then Tess continued, "Only, bright little Omegles over there did not realize that when you fell, you were going to smack your pretty little head on a rock."

After taking a minute to process the story, I asked the horrifying question that was on everyone's mind:

"Did you just call him Omegles?" I teased.

"So, you were in a potentially life threatening situation, and your first question is about the stupid pet name I gave the villain of the story, a nickname I made up in five freaking seconds?" Tess retorted.

"Wait, it was life threatening? Am I going to die? CURSE YOU, STUPID MYANS!" I yelled as my crazy meter went wacko again. When I tried to sit up again, this time being pushed down by Sam and Tess.

"Jeez, that fall messed up her head." Tess muttered, to which Sam and JJ scolded, "TESS!"

"Now, now children. Do not deny the truth that is my insanity," I said with a fake wise voice.

"Um, we're not your children." Sam stated, obviously confused by the glorious sarcasm I had used.

"No duh. I'm still in middle school. I may be stupid, but I'm not a slut. I was using my second language of sarcasm." I muttered, suddenly getting quite tired.

"We called your mother. She should be here soon to pick you up." The nurse commented in a shrill voice that made a neon rainbow that Nyan Cat would envy . ***2 **Right after she said that, I heard the familiar voice of my Mom outside.

"Speak of the devil…" I muttered under my breath.

My mom entered the Nurse's office, her long ponytail swishing behind her. She'd probably tied it out of her face while doing some sort of surgery on an animal at her job as a veterinarian.

"Oh, Max. I'm sorry this happened." She sympathized, walking to be next to my head.

"Actually, she's handling it surprisingly well. And Max-" Sam stopped to give a pointed look at me-" Do not have another freak-out about the Mayan calendar."

"Why would I do that, dear Sammy-kins?" I questioned in a sickly sweet voice, overdramatically batting my eyelashes.

"Don't. Call. Me. Sammy-kins." Sam spat, teeth gritted.

"Oh, does it annoy you?" A nod from Sam prompted me to take a deep breath and begin shouting, "SAMMY-KINS SAMMY-KINS SAMMY-KINS SA-"

"Enough, Max! You're going to interrupt the classes in session." My mother scolded. "Now come on, let's go to the car." She held out an arm to help me get up, and, as I slowly sat up, I gratefully grasped it.

When I managed to stand up, I made my wobbly way to the door, my arm slung around my Mo's shoulder for support.

"Get better, Max!" JJ called after me, always the sweet one. My Mom opened the door and Helped me out.

"Don't die!" Tess yelled as the door banged shut. That last comment made me chuckle weakly.

So, it took a while, but we finally got to the car. My Mom helped me get in the car and closed the door behind me. When she had finished, she got in the car on her side and got in, turning the key to start the car.

"You'll stay home for a few days to rest up. When your head is better, you can go back to school, and everything will be normal again." My Mom assured me , pulling out of the school parking lot.

At the time, neither of us realized that things would never go back to normal. Our lives were about to be changed forever…

**Fang POV (Yes, I am indeed that evil.)**

When my mom came home, it was relatively late. Nudge, Iggy and I were sitting around the table, doing homework. Nudge was finishing up something out of a textbook, Iggy was reading a book for English, and I was using the laptop to type an essay for History/ Social Studies/ Unicorns/ Whatever They Call That Class Now.

"Hey, kids." Her tired voice echoed through the room.

"Hey, mom." I responded, just as tiredly.

"What's up, mom?" Iggy asked, trying to be cool and failing miserably.

"OMG, HI MOMMY!" Nudge squealed, always energetic. "I just finished my math homework. Do you want to watch The Amazing Race now? ***2 **We have the episode from last week on the DVR!"

"I don't know, I'm tired, sweetie." We know saw her rounding the corner, wearing a suit, as tired looking as always. Nudge's face fell when mom said she couldn't.

"But you're tired every night!" Nudge whined sadly.

"I'm sorry Nudge. Look, if it makes you happy, I'll watch with you this weekend." Nudge's face lit up again at that.

"For realzies?" A nod from mom. "YAYFULNESS!" Nudge squealed excitedly, bouncing around.

Then, Mom turned to us. "You kids done with your homework?" She asked, coming to stand behind Iggy.

"Yeah, I'm almost done with the book," Iggy replied.

"Yup, just on the last paragraph of this essay," I answered.

"I'm going to bed soon. They want me to be at the office early. We're discussing a symptom our office has only recently begun to deal with."

"Coolio! What is it?" Nudge squeal-asked.

"It's called synesthesia," mom responded wearily, "and it makes you see colors or colored patterns."

_Whatever weirdo has that symptom has it worse than me, _I thought. _Being able to see colors- what a freak!_

And I know this was terrible to say, but I was glad that some people had this- glad because some people were bigger freaks than me.

***1: I don't own Nyan Cat. I do, however, own a Nyan Cat shirt.**

***2: I don't own The Amazing Race either.**

**Yeah, it's a little short, but it's starting to get into the plot! Max is gonna announce her synesthesia sometime in the next couple chapters, and we're getting into the topic of synesthesia with Fang's family! I bet several of you can guess what happens next. ;) **

**I've actually been trying to review on every single story I read/am favorited to, and I know it's insanely hard, but it only takes a couple minutes to make my entire day, so please review! **

**The more encouragement I get, the more I feel that people read this, and the more guilted into writing I am! In conclusion, reviews make the updating process faster.**

**So… Yeah.**

**Luffles, Sunsets**


	6. Chapter 6: New Revelations

**AN: Hey you guys! I was so excited about the amount of reviews I got, and I have some free time, so I decided to update somewhat quickly. At least, a lot more quickly than last time. You're welcome. :)**

**Book recommendation: The Apothecary, by Maile Meloy**

**I'm responding to all reviews I got at the bottom of the page.**

**Total: Guess who owns Max Ride?**

**Me: Oh, I love guessing! Is it me? You? What about Fluttershy?**

**Fluttershy: Um, actually, it's James Patterson. And Sunsets doesn't own me either. Lauren Faust/ Hasbro/ The Hub owns me.**

**Me: Oh... Okay.**

**Me, Total, and Fluttershy: Without further ado...**

**Set it to the Max chapter... 6? 5? I keep forgetting to check :p**

**Max POV**

The first thing I did once I had staggered up the stairs of my house and tripped through the doorway was collapse on the couch. The dark leather felt cool against my back, sending waves of brown swimming in my vision.

"Do you need anything, sweetie?" my mother asked, concerned.

"Nah, I'm good," I responded.

"If you need anything, let me know."

"Will do, Mumsiepoo."

I could practically _feel _her giving me a strange look.

Once she left, I began thinking. I know- shocker, right? But anyway, I was thinking about… stuff. Not really any stuff in particular, just stuff. Huh. Did you know that if you repeat the word stuff enough times, it loses all meaning? Stuff, stuff, stuff, stuffity stuff-

Sorry. I lost my train of thought for a minute. But now it's back on track. As much on track as it ever has been, anyway.

But I thought about a few things. Here's a list:

1. My favorite music (a mix of rock and depressing stuff)

2. Art class

3. My colors

4. The accident

5. My colors

6. Math, and how much I hate it

7. My colors

8. Emily the Strange ***1**

9. My colors

10. What I should get Angel for her birthday next week

11. My colors

12. Where is Total?

13. My colors

I know I ended that on oh-so-lucky number thirteen. I probably shouldn't be trying to give myself any bad luck or anything, but… YOLO. And I know you're probably cursing me for saying YOLO, and I should probably start running from you in terror, but… YOLO. You know, whoever thought of YOLO obviously wasn't thinking of cats. From now on, I'm saying YOLNT (You Only Live Nine Times). ***2**

Dangit! Stay on track, train of thought!

Anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted by the YOLO craziness (insert death glare here), you might also notice that essentially half of my previously mentioned list was my colors. That is because those colors freaking run my life. Seriously, I can't even take a dump without seeing them. My life would be extremely different if those did not exist, so it's not my fault that I think about them all the time.

And those other things… Those are just normal things to think about.

And as I thought about all of those things, I noticed the pain in my head slowly creeping up on me again. But I was still completely unprepared when a large wave of pain engulfed my brain, making it feel like someone stabbed a railroad spike through my head.

I clutched my head in both hands, barely aware that I was also howling in pain. Through my eyes, which were barely open, I saw my mom run into vision.

Then it all went black.

**Fang POV *3**

It was just about time for bed. Homework was done, showers were taken, and all that other crap you do before bed. I was straggling up the stairs.

_Another day gone by, another day wasted, _I thought glumly.

Y'know how sometimes you're just sitting there, and you get the feeling that you're not doing anything with your life and you'd be better off dead? No? Well, I get that quite often. And now was one of those times.

It felt terrible. Like no cared, and I was all alone, and I should just get a gun and shoot myself.

And maybe that's true. Maybe I'd be better dead. Maybe I really am alone. Maybe it would be better if I was dead.

So, I came up with an idea for myself. _You have a year. If December 23, next year, nobody outside of your family cares about you yet, then you can die._

And as my head hit the pillow, I hoped that I'd meet somebody who cared soon.

But, since I didn't sleep that night, I took it as a sign that I was hopeless.

**AN: *1: I don't own Emily the Strange. Robert Regers or whatever his name is does.**

***2: I actually invented YOLNT during lunch one day.**

***3: How does Maxiekins get injured so much?**

**Sorry, that was shorter than I meant it to be. Also, sorry for the lack of dialogue. This was a bit of a crucial chapter, though. What with Max's first brain attack and Fang's new proposition.**

**Anyways… Review responding time!**

**Midnight-Rose4563: Are you sure you know? 'Cause I can change the plot at any time. I am the author, after all.**

**AkitaNeruVocaloid: Of course he doesn't! How would he know Max? And I am prepared for Dylan attacks. I have Fluttershy on my side! She makes me tacos, even though it's against her morals! And you like Vocaloid? 'Cause I have a bunch of Vocaloid- loving friends. :3**

**Zaphara98: It's no problem. It was annoying a lot of readers, so it was kind of my duty to stop. And I do not have synesthesia. My best friend does, though.**

**Fiona Siona: I've read both of them! Wendy Mass is not my favorite author ever, but she is quite awesomesauce. And you might be right on your plot guessing. Or you might not be. To be honest, I'm not quite sure. LOL XD**

**I hope you enjoyed! REVIEW, CHILDREN! REVIEWWWWWW!**

**Luffles,**

**Sunsets**


	7. Chapter 7: Perhaps a Confession?

**AN: Hey, peoples! I am super excited about this new chapter!**

**I love tacos. I need a pie. I laid a baby unicorn in its crib. I don't own Maximum Ride. The sky is red. Miranda (A.K.A. my BFFL) is a biotch for trying to murder me.**

**Total: Sunsets doesn't have much else to say, so… on with the story, I suppose.**

**Set it to the Max chapter… Y'know what, screw it.**

**Max POV**

When I first woke up, it was dark, and I was lying down. _Here we go again… _I thought tiredly. Second time today. _A new record! _I thought sarcastically. What? You say there is no such thing as thinking sarcastically? Well… SCREW YOU! Yes, I have some teensy-tiny anger issues. DEAL WITH IT.

"The patient seems to be awake. She is mumbling to herself, at least." A cold, unfamiliar-sounding voice intoned.

"What's she saying?" I heard the familiar voice of my mother question worriedly.

"…Something about screws and anger?" The now confused, but still unfamiliar voice stated.

"Is Max gonna be okay, Mom?" I heard my sister Ella nervously question.

"Of course she'll be okay," My brother Gazzy said confidently.

"Yeah! Maxie-Mouse is a fighter!" I heard little Angel say, just as confidently.

Inwardly, I snickered. _Maxie-Mouse? _I thought amusedly. _That should be my hero name. Yeah, I could go around with a cape and… save all the young mice from mouse traps, I suppose. Eh, I'll work on it later. But for now, I have to focus on the real question at hand, which is… What was my question again? Wasn't it about explosives? No… Oh, now I remember! My question was, 'where am I?'_

"If she doesn't wake up soon, we'll use needles to inject (insert names of scientific-sounding drugs that I forget the name of here) into her bloodstream in the hopes that it'll jumpstart her," the cold voice continued. ***1**

Oh, now I know where I am… I'm in the hospital!

… Shit. I'm in the hospital.

Why needles? Here, I'll let you in on a little secret: needles are my worst fear. Like, snakes? Nothing. Blood? Puh-lease. Half wolf-half human mutations named after school supplies? Yawn. ***2 **But needles? Holy fuck, if needles are involved, just call the paramedics, because I'll be on the floor, curled in a ball, rocking back and forth, muttering to myself.

I used an enormous effort in an attempt to get awake before the torture devices were rolled in, to no avail.

"Well… I guess we have no other choice." The doctor said resignedly.

HOLY SHIT. NO. NO NEEDLES. NEEDLES ARE EVIL! EVILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!

I heard the sickly sweet voice of a nurse go, "Here you are, Doctor Hignes," and I could practically see a foot-long needle being transferred into the doctor's hands.

"Thank you, Nurse McFlurrles,** *3**" the doctor responded. "Now, I just need to find her vein…"

HOLY CRAPSTICKS, NO. ANYTHING BUT THE NEEDLE. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

With all of my strength, I finally opened my eyelids, which felt like they had been smothered in fast-drying cement.

"I'm awake!" I tried to yell, though it came out as a whisper. Everyone looked towards me, but all I could focus on was the big-ass needle hovering over my wrist.

"GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME," I screamed, my voice returning full-force. If someone else had talked that loud, I would've seen neon green scribbles for sure.

Ella chuckled, now relieved. "That's Max for 'ya."

"You mean Maxie-Mouse," I corrected.

"Maxie-Mouse?" Nurse McFlurrles echoed, confused.

"Yes, Maxie-Mouse. Righter of wrongs, and savior to all young mice who have tragic accidents with mouse traps," I responded. After thinking for a moment, I added, "Plus, I have a cape."

The doctor and nurse looked confused, but my family smiled happily.

The doctor quickly regained his composure. "While you were out, Ms. Ride, we discovered your, well, explosive headache was caused by something in your brain- nothing harmful, but something different, combining with the head injury you got earlier in the day. Perhaps you have dyslexia or ADHD?"

Mom shook her head, frowning. "We had her tested for both years ago."

But I froze. I knew what it was- my colors. It was the only thing it could be.

"Has she had any issues with her head in the past? Frequent headaches, perhaps?" The doctor offered, frowning.

"No, nothing. Unless there's something she's not telling us…" My mother trailed off then looked at me, concerned.

All eyes were on me now. I could reveal my colors… Or I could lie and pretend that the headache was just something caused by my head injury alone.

On one hand, I was getting tired of hiding my colors. But on the other hand, I would be labeled as even more of a freak if I did reveal them.

To reveal, or not to reveal.

"Well, Miss Ride?" The doctor questioned again. I had made my decision.

"Well-"

**Fang POV *4**

**364 days left (this is how many days until his killing-himself plan is put into action)**

I woke up in the morning with sun streaming in my face, the comfortingly black walls in my field of vision, and the uncomfortable weight of Iggy on my body.

Wait, back up. What is Iggy doing sitting on me?

"Good morning, Fang," Iggy greeted cheerfully, as if we weren't in the most awkward position ever.

"Um… Good morning?" I tried, squirming uncomfortably under Iggy's weight. _Jeez, what has this idiot been eating, _I thought, half disgusted, half joking. What, I can't joke with myself in my mind? Well… Shut up. "What are you doing here?" I tried again.

"It's Saturday, December 24, 2012!" He screamed at me excitedly.

"You're really excited about knowing the date!" I yelled back. ***5**

"It's Nudge's 25th half birthday!" He screamed excitedly. Oh, that…

"What do we have planned for her?" I asked, bored.

"We're going to eat ice cream and watch TV!" He responded joyfully.

"Oh, joy." I responded glumly.

"Oh, lighten up Fang." He said. "It IS Nudge's 25th half birthday, after all."

"I know, I know." I said glumly. Rolling out of bed, I put on my usual black attire and ran a comb through my dark hair quickly before skidding downstairs.

I was greeted by my mother and Nudge sitting at the table, talking excitedly. I could hear Iggy making food in the kitchen, humming lightly. The only thing that seemed to make this different from regular breakfast was that Nudge's hair was straightened.

Plopping down on my chair, idly played with my napkin until Iggy brought breakfast to the table. Today, it was bacon, as well as Iggy's specialty sprinkle-waffles. ***6**

Absentmindedly cutting up my waffle, I half listened to the conversation; something about the cute new kid at Nudge's school. All I really heard was Iggy going, "Yeah, you get that man, girl!" Yep… Like I told you: Insane.

When breakfast was finished, we all piled onto the couch and watched some sappy romance show that Mom and Nudge liked. All I really did was stare at the wall and wait for it all to end.

But afterwards, I wondered if that kind of romance existed in real life. The undying kind. But I don't think so. I mean, how could that possibly exist in real life?

* * *

><p><strong>*1 I dunno if actually do this in hospitals, but I wanted to do something with needles, so bear with me here.<strong>

***2 Sorry, but I couldn't resist. XD**

***3 Haha… Nurse McFlurrles…**

***4 I just get eviler and eviler with these cliffies, don't I?**

***5 That was taken from The Fault in our Stars by John Green. I don't own that, but it was so amazing that I wish I did.**

***6 My brother actually used to make these. It's when you mix sprinkles into waffle batter, then bake them regularly.**

**Jeez, that was a lot of AN's… **

**By the way, I'm putting a link to Nudge's outfit on my profile if you're interested.**

**Now for the responses!**

**NOTE: Even if you didn't ask a question, I still respond to you. I love talking to all of you. :3**

**Zaphara98- Is it hard to have synesthesia? It sounds so hard…**

**Midnight-Rose4563- Oreos are indeed extremely awesome. I sewed an Oreo pillow for a Home Ec. Project a few years ago… Are you Team Cookies, or team Crème? **

**AkitaNeruVocaloid- Yeah. The Circle You, Circle You song is Vocaloid, right? My friend showed it to me once… And you didn't really ask a question. I just enjoy talking to my reviewers. :3**

**Bailar: Well, here it is… The slightly-crappy update that I posted anyway.**

**MusicAnonymous: Indeed. Poor emo Fang.**

**Fiona Siona: Sorry. I try hard to make them as long as possible, I really do, but I don't want them to go in circles or be repetitive. And Fang might die, the poor emo bunny. But yes, there is a chance that these two characters might just so happen to meet. Just a chance. But, you're right, if they do meet, Max will have a hard time winning over Fang. But he doesn't really hate synesthesia, he just likes feeling like someone has it worse than him. But Max won't die. I don't think she will, anyway. But anything can happen. **

**I might be able to update later this week… Fingers crossed!**

**Luffles, Sunsets**


	8. Chapter 8: Confessions and Announcements

**AN: Guys, I'm not joking when I say that when I saw all of the reviews, I actually screamed. Here, Miranda can verify it for me.**

**Miranda: Sunsets screamed. And in the middle of Total Drama: World Tour too. *glares***

**Me: So, as celebration, the new chapter is up earlier than usual. Enjoy it in good health, darlings!**

**By the way, I'm looking for a beta, if anyone's interested.**

**Book Recommendation: The Uglies Series by Scott Westerfield.**

**Insane Asylum Person: Sunsets is currently in denial about pretty much everything, so… She doesn't own Max Ride.**

**Everyone: On with the story!**

**Set it to the Max**

**Max's POV**

_**Last chapter: **_

_**On one hand, I was getting tired of hiding my colors. But on the other hand, I would be labeled as even more of a freak if I did reveal them.**_

_**To reveal, or not to reveal.**_

"_**Well, Miss Ride?" The doctor questioned again. I had made my decision.**_

"_**Well-"**_

"I don't have anything that I know about." I finished. But I guess I didn't sound too sure about that, 'cause nobody really looked sure.

"Max, if there's anything wrong, you can tell us." My mom stated, looking unsure.

"There's nothing wrong!" I defended loudly. Okay, I guess I was a little TOO loud and defensive there. Now everyone is looking even less sure.

"Max… Are you sure you're okay?" Ella asked me, just as concerned as mom.

Okay, so I know this really wasn't good planning on my part, but when they kept asking me questions, I got really pissed off.

"Nothing's wrong and I'm perfectly fine, so stop asking me all of these freaking questions!" I screamed, getting louder and louder.

"Max, something's wrong. So cut the bull and tell us," Ella deadpanned, coming to stand next to the hospital bed.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I spit harshly, glaring at Ella.

"Of course we'll believe you, honey," my mom soothed, coming to stand next to Ella. Of course, Angel and Gazzy followed mom like she was the mother duck and they were her little baby ducks.

"I doubt it," I muttered, closing my eyes. For amusement, I opened them and stared at the bright lights and then closed my eyes again, enjoying the colors it created against the darkness. ***1 **

"I'm sure it can't be that bad," Ella responded.

"Well… Ihavecolors," I mumbled, all my words jumbling together into a big mush of letters.

"What was that?" The doctor asked, confused.

"I said… Ihavecolors." I mumbled, only slightly louder and clearer.

"Can you repeat that?" Nurse McFlurrles questioned.

"I HAVE COLORS!" I screamed, a _tad bit_ louder than necessary.

The whole room went silent. I looked at everyone's faces nervously.

Nurse McFlurrles and the doctor looked concerned. Mom looked skeptical. Ella appeared confused. However, Angel and Gazzy looked downright gleeful.

"You have colors! That is so cool!" Angel squealed, sending a shocking pink into my vision. Gazzy nodded, agreeing.

"I think I've heard of it before… It was in this book! I think it was called, "A Strawberry Shaped Space," and it's about this girl named Lia has this symptom where she sees colors. ***2 **What was it called… synthesezia or something…"

"Well… We'll look into it," the doctor said. I relaxed into my pillow. I suddenly felt like this elephant had just lifted its fat ass off of my poor lungs, and I could breathe a lot easier.

Huh. Maybe this secret-sharing thing ain't half bad…

**Fang POV**

Dinnertime—again. I feel like I'm in some loop thing where the same thing happens over and over again.

"I got a call from work today…" my mom said, attempting to start up a conversation.

"What was it about?" Nudge asked, mildly interested.

"Well, you know how I was telling you about synesthesia?" My mom asked, earning nods from me, Nudge and Iggy. " Well, we found a patient with synesthesia."

"Really? Is she my age? Does she live near here? Does she wanna be best friends?" Nudge celebrated, excited at the prospect of a new friend.

"She's actually Fang and Iggy's age. She lives in New York." My mother responded, taking a bite of her vegetables.

"The city part?" Iggy asked, getting interested. "Chicks from the city are hot." ***3 **Smiling, he picked up a chicken wing and began gnawing on it.

"Iggy!" my mother scolded. "Besides, she's more from the suburb area. And you shouldn't judge her until you meet her."

"Wait… We'll meet her?" I asked, confused. After all, we're in California, and she's in New York. How are we getting there?

"Well, that's what I wanted to tell you kids about," mom said, suddenly getting uncomfortable. She began awkwardly moving the food on her plate side to side with her fork, not looking at any of us kids.

"What do you mean?" Nudge asked, looking just as confused. Iggy, however, looked horrified.

"You don't mean…" Iggy began, horrified. My mother nodded.

"Kids, this is hard for me to tell you, but… My work really wants me to, and…"

It slowly dawned on me. "No."

She nodded slowly. "Yes."

Nudge still looked confused. "What're you guys talking about?" My mother took a deep breath, then said,

"Kids, we're moving to New York."

**OH! ROLE REVERSAL! FANG GETS THE CLIFFIE INSTEAD OF MAX! WO-OAH! **

***1 the whole bright lights then darkness-and-colors thing isn't related to synesthesia; as far as I know, anyone can do that, and I enjoy doing it when I'm bored.**

***2 this is a slightly parodied version of A Mango-Shaped Space, which I do not own.**

***3 I used to live in the city, so in Iggy's eyes, I must be one hot tamale! I kid with you, dear reader. I'm kind of a second fiddle if anything.**

**REVIEW RESPONSES!**

**Midnight-Rose4563: Well, it's my pillow. ALL MINE! MWAHAHAHA! I'm team Switzerland (A.K.A. neutral), 'cause I need the cookies to compliment the crème, and vice versa.**

**maxride227: Please give me the cookie… Pweese? *puppy dog face***

**Hope-Hikari: No, I'm not… I have a shirt with Pinkie Pie on it, though. What is the Pinkie Pie Society, anyways?**

**Pistachio Mustachio (I'm just gonna respond to the reviews in the order that you left them, 'cause you left a bunch): No, you were logged in… I don't get gooey white thingies between my toes. They sound quite nasty, though. I have never considered Fang reading Edgar Allen Poe, but we're doing a unit on Edgar Allen Poe in school in a week or two, so if I find anything particularly interesting for him to read, I'll add it in. So, you're saying Max has trypanophobia? Perhaps…**

**SKYLER: Of course they are! They're called cliffies for a reason. And maybe Fang'll die… I don't quite have that worked out yet. And as you can see, Max did reveal her colors!**

**Bailar: Eh, I'm not very good at long… I'll try, but in the middle I'll be like, "Hey, look! It's a dingleberry!" and I won't be able to concentrate… And the pancake thingie sounds really good!**

**miamia114: I'm glad you think so! :)**

**Zaphara98: Wow, it sounds kinda crappy now that you explain it… And yes, I am evil with cliffies. I have a villain name for it and everything. I call myself… Cliffie Girl! Yeah, I'm so creative. And Cliffie Girl's powers rival those of even the great Maxie Mouse!**

**MusicAnonymous: Well, it wasn't quite that week, but it was a faster update than usual! And you're soooooooooooo lucky that you get ice cream. I want ice cream, but my brother always eats it all! *grumbles***

**MY BIRFDAY'S COMIN' UP, BICHES (yes, I'm aware that I spelled that wrong)!**

**Total: Review? In honor of Sunsets' early birthday? *puppy dog eyes***

**Luffles, Sunsets, Total, and Miranda**


	9. Chapter 9: The Beginning of the Middle

**AN: Hey guys! I'm super excited for you guys to read this chapter, 'cause I'm super excited to write it! I've been trying to find perfect ways to write it, and I've been practicing it everywhere- Here, on the back of test papers and homework—heck, even on my graphing calculator in math! I hope you enjoy!**

**UPDATE: I'm sorry guys, I've been hesitant to post it because I think it really stinks, and I'm just afraid you won't like it.**

**Still looking for a beta, if anyone's interested…**

**I'm gonna stop giving book recommendations, 'cause I don't think anyone is actually reading the books anyway…**

**Total: What can I say? Here's some math:**

**Sunsets equals no owny Max Ride.**

**James Patterson equals yes owny Max Ride.**

**Sunsets' brother equals irritating.**

**/\ How'd that get in there? Teehee.**

**Set it to the Max**

**Max POV**

I've been out of the hospital for a couple days now, so let me give you the run-down on what's going on:

They discovered that I have synesthesia, which somehow kind-of-but-not-really re-wires my brain into seeing colors where they're not. I don't really understand it, but I don't really care that I don't because I'm honestly just glad that I don't have a brain tumor or something.

They couldn't really tell what had caused my headache extravaganza. The doctors thought it had something to do with my synesthesia, but they couldn't really verify it. So, for now, I have to take some prescription drug that is essentially a glorified aspirin to keep out the monster headaches. Out of precaution, they kept me out of school for a few days, but I'm going back tomorrow.

So, now that you're caught up on the happenings of Max World, let's get back to the present.

I was sitting on the floor of the family room with Angel and Total. We were watching this show Angel had insisted on watching called My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. ***1 **It was apparently about this unicorn named Twilight Sparkle who discovered the magic of friendship. I personally liked Rainbowdash, who was apparently the badass character on this show.

Anyway, as we sat watching it, I absentmindedly stroked Total's black fur. Angel, Total and I spent a while sitting on the floor, because five episodes later, mom burst into the house, extremely excited. Total immediately shot up to greet her, head-butting her legs repeatedly, seeking attention.

Laughing, my mother knelt to scratch Total behind the ears. While she did this, she looked over at me, eyes shining.

"We found a synesthesia doctor!" She yelled excitedly, sending hot pink streaks into my vision, not unlike the ones Angel had caused mere days ago in the hospital.

"Really?" I asked excitedly. I wasn't really one for learning, but I was completely prepared for a class in synesthesia.

"Yeah! Her name is… Mrs. Walker, I believe. She's moving into town in a couple days. I scheduled for you appointment to be on Wednesday next week." My mother informed me. "And she has a few kids of her own. One is a year or so younger than Ella, and the other two are boys, about your age." I didn't really care about that last part; if you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly Captain Sparkly-Friendship. Plus, I'm already Maxie Mouse. Hey, maybe my mortal enemy can be Captain Sparkly-Friendship!

"Max? You awake?" I snapped out of my one-woman conversation by my mom's curious voice, and I snapped my head around to face her. This wasn't the brightest idea on my part, since my semi-knotted long ponytail whooshed around to bitch-slap me across the face.

Making a face, I pulled the long hairs away from my face and my mouth, where they had stuck when they were swished around. While I performed this task, my mother continued on, looking thoroughly amused.

"Anyway, as I said, she seemed really nice when I talked to her on the phone today, so PLEASE, for my sake if not your own, don't do anything embarrassing," she pleaded.

I rolled my eyes and then smirked slightly. "Shouldn't it be that I'm playing the part of the "misunderstood" teen while you play the exasperated mom, not the other way around?" I questioned, using finger quotation marks around the word misunderstood.

My mom smiled slightly. "Gazzy is dressed like a girl, and you're asking me about that?" She said, gesturing behind me.

Guess what Max the Idiot did again- whip her head! And guess what happened next- My hair bitch-slapped me again! You'd think a girl would learn…

But what I saw behind me was so worth it—Gazzy, wearing a skirt and high heels, with a large amount of eyeliner and blush on.

"The trick is to apply lightly, Gazzy. Subtleness is key!" I snickered before bursting out in gut-busting laughter.

"Isn't my creation wonderful?" Ella asked proudly, hopping next to Gazzy (who was almost as tall as her in his hooker heels).

"Vez, Ella. Just vonderful," I stated once the giggle fits were over, practicing my German accent. Gazzy made a face.

"Wait! Let me get the camera!" mom shouted, rushing to get to the cabinet in our kitchen where we kept the camera.

Gazzy's eyes widened at this, and he paled. I could practically see him thinking of all the hits this could get on Facebook, and how many funny looks he was going to get from my mom's friends. He tried to run away, only to trip on his mile-high heels and face-plant.

My mom rushed back in with the camera, and began laughing again when she saw Gazzy lying on the floor. As for me and Angel, we were practically ROFLing. Like, serious rolling-on-the-floor-while-nearly-dying-from-laughter ROFLing.

"Say cheese!" My mom choked out between laughs.

"Cheese." Gazzy muttered into the carpet.

Oh, the wonderful insanity of my family…

**~Time Skip~**

Later, after dinner, my mom began talking.

"As I was saying earlier, Max has an appointment with the synesthesia doctor. But, because Max is going to spend a lot of time with her, I asked if we could meet here beforehand. And, well, she was very nice and we became friends. And… it was only the polite thing to do…"

"She's coming over?" Ella squeaked, looking excited.

"Yes. And she's bringing her kids." Mom said, looking to each of us.

"Company?" Gazzy and I groaned. Having people over wasn't really a fun thing for me, for a couple reasons:

-I have to make conversation.

-I have to be polite.

-I usually have to put on nice-ish clothes—meaning, a skirt (even if it's with leggings), or nice pants.

-I ACTUALLY HAVE TO BRUSH MY HAIR.

-I have to use minimal sarcasm.

Yep… I mean, I get things could be worse. I could be stuck in a cage with people experimenting on me every day. I could be engaged to Justin Beiber**, *2 **or worse—his newly found twin, Dylan Beiber. ***3 **If you didn't know, There was just this huge thing where they found out that this annoying kid at my school who kept hitting on me is related to Justin Beiber, and they're now on tour together. Dylan kind of sucks at singing, but the big shots figure that auto tune is just as good as having real talent.

Let us continue, shall we?

"And Max, you do have to play nice, and get kind of dressed up." My mom continued, looking straight at me.

"I call her picking her outfit!" Ella chirped, pleased with the prospect of my being her Barbie doll. I shuddered, imagining myself in the same position Gazzy was earlier.

"Nope Uh-uh. I'm picking my own outfit." I said, shaking my head repeatedly. Ella seemed disappointed at this and looked like she was about to argue, but mom gave her that "don't say a word" look that's reserved for moms to give to their daughters.

"So… anyone up for dessert?" Gazzy asked.

"You're not full yet?" Ella questioned incredulously.

"Nope," Angel, Gazzy and I responded at the same time.

"JINX! YOU BOTH OWE ME A SODA!" Angel shouted.

"Angel, you don't even like soda." My mom stated, confused.

"DON'T QUESTION ME!" Angel yelled in what seemed to be an interpretation of a Swedish accent. ***4 **Everyone but me was taken aback by this. I wasn't because, to be perfectly honest, I've seen stranger.

"I'll get the pudding." I sighed, standing up.

"It wasn't pudding, though. It was ice cream." My mom tried again, still confused.

"I DON'T CARE!" I yelled in my own interpretation of a Swedish accent. ***4 again**

For the record, it was actually ice cream. And it was delicious for that matter.

**~Time skip and Fang's POV~**

**(I'm skipping the whole moving part because when I originally had it in here, it was super boring. So we're skipping to the night they go to the Martinez house.)**

I finished putting my coat on before going into the car. Unfortunately, Iggy had already gotten shotgun, so I was stuck in the back with our resident chatterbox, Nudge. Thank god it was only a ten minute drive.

Most of the drive was Nudge chattering on. I tuned out most of it, but I was fairly certain I heard something about witchcraft, a purple stegosaurus, and a rainbow swirly lollypop. Yeah, I don't understand either.

When we got there, I yelled "FREEDOM!" and ran out of the car, Iggy following close behind. Nudge and mom walked to the door like gentleladies or whatever.

I rang the doorbell, impatient to get in. Did I forget to mention it was raining?

"I'VE GOTZ THE DOOR, GURLRIEND!" I heard a teenage-ish voice say, dragging out the ending of the word girlfriend, and I saw the door fly open to reveal a girl.

She didn't really appear special; dirty blonde hair that was neatly brushed, pretty tall, wearing a girly-girl outfit. _Another typical One Direction-loving, fingernail-painting idiot, _I sighed inwardly.

"HOLY SHOOT. I THINK IT'S THE PO-PO. HIDE THE BEER!" The girl shouted, running away from the door.

_...Or not._

***1 I do not own this show or its plotline. Lauren Faust does.**

***2 I don't own Justin Beiber. As far as I know, he owns himself.**

***3 I know they really aren't related in real life, but go with me here.**

***4 Any bros out there? *brofist***

**Next chapter will be the rest of the dinner.**

**REVIEW RESPONSES!**

**Midnight-Rose4563: Switzerland is kind of an impartial country. Likewise, I think the cookies need the crème, and the crème needs the cookies, so I'm impartial to either.**

**SoccerGrl14: It was kind of a long wait, but can I please still have my cookies?**

**MusicAnonymous: I LOVE Your Grammar Sucks! You don't happen to watch MyMusic, do you? I tried to make this a tad bit longer. I think next chapter will be quite a bit longer than the chapters have been as of late.**

**StarShineStarLight: Did you like how Fang thought of Max? I tried to make it interesting. ;)**

**Zaphara98: Still, it having synesthesia really seems to have its drawbacks. And the name shouldn't' be bad; I made it up, didn't I? JK, JK, I'm not THAT conceited. And thanks for wishing me a happy birthday!**

**maxride227: Once again, thanks for wishing me a happy birthday! I appreciated it very much.**

**Skatzaa: I actually wasn't sure at first, either. I was just reminded of how people have to move for their jobs all the time, so I figured it was a good enough reason.**

**miamia114: I hate them when I read them, but they're immensely fun to write! So I guess you'll have to suffer. MWA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAA. But there weren't really any cliffies this time, so… you got lucky this time.**

**Snow angel: As you can see, I updated. So… How's life?**

**Hope-Hikari: That sounds awesome! I'm so joining now! And thanks for the happy birthday wishes!**

**Guest (the one who reviewed on 3/14/13): Sorry, I tend to update sporadically. **

**Guest (the one who reviewed on 3/16/13): Like I said with the review above… I'm sorry 'bout that.**

**You guys… this is the one-year anniversary of Set it to the Max! I remember when I first started this, I thought nobody would ever see it, yet here I am, a year later, with sixty reviews, writing on! I don't think you guys will ever understand how much this means to me, but I thank you all.**

**With much gratitude,**

**Sunsets**


	10. Chapter 10: First Impressions

**AN: Guys, I'm sorry this had taken so long. Like, no joke, I just looked the other day and I was like, "Woah… How the *bleep* has it been six months since I updated?" Nonetheless, I'd like to say I'm glad to be back and writing this chapter!**

**And twenty reviews, you guys? I don't even deserve that, after how horribly I treated you. I'm seriously sorry.**

**I own Maximum Ride like Dylan is right for Max. Meaning, I have never owned it and I will never own it.**

**Set it to the Max**

**Max's POV**

_Really, Max? Hide the beer? That's really the best you could come up with? _I thought to myself. Running away from the door, I turned down the hall into the kitchen, where the rest of my family was waiting.

"Really Max? Hide the beer? That's the best you could come up with?" Angel said to me, obviously not amused.

"Angel… Can you project your voice into my head?" I asked, surprised at how she was able to mimic my thoughts. Not waiting for her to start talking, I continued speaking. "Wait, of course you can. My whole life makes sense now! No wonder I always had that little voice in the back of my head…"

My whole family stared at me in alarm. Questioning my sanity, no doubt.

"Kidding!" I laughed, enjoying their hilarious expressions. "Jeez, you guys are easy to fool," I muttered under my breath.

"…Where are the Walkers?" Mom asked.

"Umm… After calling them the po-po then running into the house, I may or may not have slammed the door in their faces, leaving them awkwardly standing on the porch…" I trailed off, looking at my mom nervously, waiting for her reaction.

Thankfully, instead of blowing up in my face, my mom took the more pleasant route of sighing and rolling her eyes.

"Go get them," she commanded. Eager to avoid more trouble, I hurried around to the front door again, and opened the door another time to once again see the faces of four very confused-looking people.

"Sorry," I grimaced, stepping to the side so they could get in. "Please, come in."

They cautiously stepped in, looking around as if they expected to see dead bodies hanging from the ceiling, or perhaps a lovely demon lounging on our couch.

"Hello!" My mother said excitedly, stepping out from the kitchen and going to greet Mrs. Walker wih a handshake.

"It's so lovely to meet you!" Mrs. Walker responded, shaking my mother's hand firmly. As they shook hands, Angel, Gazzy, and Ella came from around the corner, walking as carefully as you would on a minefield, or maybe a battlefield.

_Soldiers, we are in unmanned territory. _Y'know, I always did think that Soldier Max had a great ring to it.

"These are my kids!" Mom said, as we all assembled into a line behind her.

"This is Ariel," she gestured to Angel, who smiled sweetly.

"This is Zephyr," to which Gazzy said, "But you can call me Gazzy," to which I was quick to add our signature catchphrase: "A word to the wise, stay upwind."

After shooting me her best _shut up and don't embarrass me _look, mom continued with, "And this is Ella," to which Ella gave a quick grin and a, "hello."

"And this… this is dear Max," mom finished, sweeping her newly painted fingers in my direction.

"But you can call me Fabulous," I said, flipping my hair, "Or Beyoncé."

Mrs. Walker looked confused, but quickly shook off her confusion.

"Your kids seem lovely," Mrs. Walker gushed. "Simply great." _Yeah, we seem pretty lovely until you get into a conversation with us, _I thought.

"And these are my kids", she started, her kids forming a line behind her, similar to the barricade we had behind our mom.

_Now it's war. And I will fight all the way through! Soldier Max to the rescue! Or is that Maxie Mouse's catch phrase… Eh, I'll figure that out later._

"This is Monique," She began, gesturing to Monique in the way my mom had gestured to us, "And this is Jeff," She said, gesturing to the pale blonde kid, "and this is Nick." She finished, waving her hand in the direction of the olive-skinned, black haired kid. Jeff and Nick both did that nod thing to acknowledge us, y'know, that nod that bros do, like, _yo, 'sup Homie G? _However, Nudge did not seem content with a simple bro nod. No, she had to jump into a speech that sounded suspiciously like rambling.

"Hi, hi, hello! I'm Monique, but you can call me Nudge because I feel like it would just be such a cool and _different _name to have! Don't you think so? I also like the name Tiffany. And Crystal. And Tiffany-Crystal. But, you know, Monique is also a pretty name, so I'm down with it." She finished.

"…Tiffany Crystal _would _be a cool name to have!" Ella said enthusiastically. "I feel like Ella's such a plain and boring name. Like, everyone else has super-cool names. Like, Ariel's nickname is Angel, which is so cool and mysterious, and Zephyr is so unique, and Max is so sporty and sophisticated, but I'm just Ella."

"I think Ella's a pretty name." Nudge offered, smiling at Ella. I could already tell the two of them were going to be great friends.

"Well, dinner's ready, so we should head to the dining room." Mom smiled, motioning us in the direction of the dining room.

Once we got into the room, Mrs. Walker asked, "Where is everyone going to sit?" Everyone glanced uncertainly at the chairs, then at everyone else in the room. Finally, I sighed and got to work.

"Mom first. Since you baked and it's your house and all that, you should sit at the head of the table." I paused to drag my mom to the head of the table.

"And Mrs. Walker, you should sit at the other end of the table because you have authority over half of the other minors in this room. Ella, you should sit next to mom because you two look alike, so it will be ironic. Nudge, you should sit next to Ella because you two get along so well. Angel, you should sit between Nudge and Mrs. Walker because 1. Nudge is the closest girl to your age, and 2. Your deceptive sweetness will charm Mrs. Walker. Jeff, you sit next to Mrs. Walker because I have a feeling that your mother keeps a close eye on you, 'cause I know a fellow troublemaker when I see one." One by one, I dragged everyone to their seats until there were only two seats left, and only Nick and I were the only ones still standing.

"Nick," I started, "You should sit next to Jeff because he's a boy, and he's your brother, and he's your age, so you guys can sit and do your bro things together." I grabbed Nick's forearms in attempt to begin dragging him to the table, only to be floored by the strength of his arms.

"Dang, girl! You are muscular!" I said, squeezing his forearms in surprise.

In response, he arched an eyebrow at me. "I'm a guy." He said, his voice low. It occurred to me that this was the first time I had heard him talk.

"It speaks." I said sarcastically, dragging him to the seat next to Jeff. Finally, the only seat remaining was between Nick and my mom. "And I will sit here, because I am awesome like that. Also, I'm betting my mom wants to be sitting close enough that she can kick me if I do something wrong." I finished, sitting in my own seat.

"That was an… interesting way of seating us, Max." Mrs. Walker said.

After a brief (and awkward) silence, my mom said, "I'll go get the food. Max, Ella; help me with it." We all hurried to the kitchen, returning moments later with plates of chicken, bowls of vegetables, mashed potatoes, gravy, and bottles of juice.

"You didn't have to make so much food," Mrs. Walker said. "I hate to inconvenience you like that."

"She really did. My siblings and I eat like pigs." I voiced, taking several pieces of chicken to prove my point.

"Max! Serve the guests first!" Mom scolded.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." I rolled my eyes. "How much chicken do you want, Nick?" I asked. In response, he shrugged.

"I'll take that as a, 'I don't want chicken,'" I decided, moving on to Iggy.

After I got all the way around the table, I put the serving platter back on the table and sat in my chair.

"Can someone pass the mashed potatoes?" I asked. Angel passed them to my side of the table.

As I began spooning several large spoonful's onto my plate, Mrs. Walker began asking my questions.

"So, how old are you Max?"

"I'm fourteen."

"How lovely! That's the same age as Jeff and Nick. Maybe you'll have some classes with them at school."

"Maybe. I kinda doubt it though."

"Why?"

"Because… Never mind."

The conversation died down after that, and we went back to eating our food. Apparently, the Walker kids liked food as much as us Rides did.

**Fang's POV**

I take back all assumptions of normalcy I made about this family. If anything, they are crazier than my family, which is saying something.

The youngest one (I think her name is Ariel or something) is that kind of sugary sweet that is borderline creepy and kind of makes me think that she will be either a lawyer or a mass murderer someday. The second youngest (the one whose name sound like a fart) smells suspiciously like beans. And Max… Max just randomly blurts out whatever comes to her mind. I mean, most of its pretty funny most of the time, but it's kinda like she has no filter between her mind and her mouth. The only normal ones are the mom and the other daughter, Ella or whatever.

Here is an example of their craziness:

We were in the middle of dinner when Max poured a glass of juice. It would've been normal, had she not said the following after pouring it:

"I'm thinking of going on a juice cleanse. Did you know that if you go on a juice cleanse, you can lose ten pounds through poop?"

And she didn't even say it jokingly. She was completely normal about it; conversational, even.

Safe to say, I won't be doing a juice cleanse for a long time.

I said maybe two things the whole meal. I don't even know what they would've expected me to say in response to anything any of them said. "Why yes, I have been on a juice cleanse myself." Really!

They were an interesting family, I guess, but they were, as I have said repeatedly, insane. I don't think we'll be coming back again for a long, long time.

**AN: That's what you think, Fang…**

**I'm sorry if this was confusing. If you got confused, PM me and I'll explain it to you.**

**Review responses:**

**Midnight-Rose4563: I love Pewds! I also love Marzia. They're so cute together! And I'm glad I was able to make you laugh.**

**Hope-Hikari: Well, Max is pretty random in the actual series, so I wanted to make her that random in the story. And I forget almost all my friends birthdays. Sometimes, I'll shove my trash into their hands and yell, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" They get so freaked out. **

**CatieBug14: I guess I kinda failed you on that… I hope you enjoyed the chapter, though! **

**DAMN-MAN: I did, so… mission accomplished, I guess.**

**DeliciousBlood: *Brofist* I start squealing every time someone tells me they're a bro!**

**PalmerPie: I'm so glad I made your day! Y'know… six months ago…**

**Saige Shadows: It was my favorite chapter to write, too!**

**Guest (the one who reviewed on 3/19/13): I guess I didn't get to it fast enough… But I truly appreciate the praise! It made me smile when I saw it!**

**Skatzaa: Thank you for the compliment!**

**maxride227: Thanks! I think that it was a general consensus that people's favorite line from the last chapter was: HOLY SHOOT. I THINK IT'S THE PO-PO. HIDE THE BEER! I actually said that to my friend once. XD**

**The Gone Angel: He is pretty epic. But if Max left the beer, then the po-po could trace her!**

**Guest (the one who reviewed on 3/19/13): Thanks!**

**Bro fist: OMG! I loved Crooked Man! Scared me half to death, though.**

**Guest (the one who reviewed on 3/19/13): No problem! I'm glad so many people take the time to read my little story!**

**Random: That's okay. It took me forever to decide where the heck I'm taking this plot, though. BROFIST!**

**MusicAnonymous: Aw! I like you vaguely too! Bros are awesome. And you cannot deny that Gazzy was always kind of hookery (hooker-ish? Hooker-like?) But, anyways… yeah.**

**Rosalie: But if you hide the beer, then poor Max won't be able to find it! XD**

**life is short so am I: I LOVE your screen pic! I have that quote saved on my iPod!**

**Iwantwings: Sorry it took so long. :(**

**Zaphara98: Yeah, if you put 'cute' and 'villain name' in the same sentence, they kinda cancel each other out.**

**Woah, that was a lot… How many of you are there?**

**Anyways… Yeah.**

**Luffles, Sunsets**


End file.
